Flag Day was officially established by the Proclamation of
President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. After Wilson's
proclamation, Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for
years; and then on August 3rd, 1949 President Truman signed an Act of
Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

The controversy about amending the Constitution to prohibit
flag-burning is still in the news. Unfortunately, some politicians are
shamefully using this emotional issue to score political points by
trying to take short-sighted and irresponsible action when it may be
better to leave well enough alone. As for those who consider themselves
conservative, making changes to and playing political games with our
Constitution is anything but conservative. It is shameful to burn the
flag; but isn’t it also shameful for leaders to use the flag as an issue
to advance a political agenda and to distract the public from pressing
issues that they don’t want to address?

Hypocrisy is rampant today just as it has always been. Jesus rightly
called the leaders of His day “hypocrites.”

In an article I read about the flag, the writer stated that the flag
should be worshiped. I say, respected – yes! Worshiped? – No! Only God
is worshiped. To worship anything or anyone besides God is idolatry.

I will close with this thought: Since I am convinced that the
increasing, round-the-clock bloodshed of God’s innocent creatures in
slaughterhouses is having serious, irreversible consequences that are
escalating, if we really want God to bless our country and the earth, go
vegan! Pretending that this holocaust of other animals doesn’t exist or
isn’t important will not make those consequences disappear – we will all
bear the results – flag waving or no flag waving.

"Joyful Curmudgeon"
An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful. At the
same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the
world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true
peace and compassion.